More To See
by Black666Hunter
Summary: Hidden beneath their pretty average lives, a small group of friends strives to bring back a touch of the past to their lives. They tire of living in the shadows, constantly having to hide who they are. Come along on a journey of discovery and magic to see what hides beneath Marine uniforms. WARNING - contains Nudity
1. Chapter 1

Humans have told stories of my kind for thousands of years. Frightening tales of things beyond the realm of possibilities to scare children and enforce their beliefs in rituals and sacrifices to keep the evil at bay. Horrible stories of ugly creatures taking fair maidens and fighting Knights and soldiers on battlefields of eras gone by. No one tells the good stories anymore, the times when my kind was accepted by those who weren't so easily fooled by the dark fables.

We have always been around, living in the shadows and hiding our differences unless we could be sure of our safety. Generations ago, the different lines would never spend time together, constantly aware the tensions between the lines. But now, with so few of us left, the desire to be around people that understand our problems drives old foes into close contact.

Times have changed so much, my ancestors used to tell me stories of when they could freely walk their territory without fear of anyone threatening them. They spoke of being able to walk through town without getting attacked but those days are gone. There are so few of us left, we dare not make ourselves known as anything other than ordinary. We hide our otherworldly appearances, shield our strange faces and withdrawn from people that could identify us as being from a different place and time.

Call us what you will, my kind has been called many names since we were first discovered. Humans always create terrifying stories to explain us away but it never works. We are the spirits and demons of the past, vilified for following natural instinct as our ancestors did. But we are neither spirit nor Demon; we are just people with something more hidden beneath our skin.

I represent just one of the main lines, I am the last of my sub-kind. There are so few left now, probably only a couple of hundreds on the plant and we are dying out. No one can save us from extinction and that is truly a shame. We are good people, we can help the human race survive and thrive, we know how to make the world better but because we are so different, no one wants to accept who we are.

Come with me; let me show you the truth behind my kind and just how normal we are when we're not threatened. Listen to my words and hear the truth as I know it. Share my life and open your eyes to a world where nothing is quite what it appears to be at first look. Tread carefully though, my kind are not always friendly.


	2. Chapter 2

Of all the names we have been called over the generations, most of us have accepted "hybrid" as the most polite term for what we are. It is perhaps the closest term to explain what we are. Our origins have been lost to antiquity, even the elders of our clan have forgotten. We are abnormal and that is the very core of our troubles. We are freaks and monsters; there is no escaping the truth anymore.

Whether we have claws, fur, feathers or fangs, we work hard constantly to keep pur identities secret. With so few left, we must tread carefully or our kind will be extinguished from this world we have inhabited for so long. We are no threat, despite our true appearances. We just want to live and share this world with the ordinary people.

~!~#~(~)~#~!~

Putting aside the clan journal that he was now responsible for, Aloysius Knight tucked it away in its special leather protector and secured it back in the safe until he next felt like delving into the story of his family past and the secret they all carried. He was a hybrid, the last of the Panthera line of hybrids. His parents had taught him all they could, making sure he understood the challenges of his life as a hybrid. They hadn't survived to see him grow up, like so many hybrids they chose to take their own lives in the woods around their home rather than become known as hybrids and risk their son's life as well.

'Come on Aloysius, lunch time.' Rufus called, heavy fist thumping against the door. 'You'll need claws for it.'

'I'll be right there Rufus.' Aloysius grinned, getting to his feet.

Aloysius knew he'd been lucky to find another hybrid that he could get along with. He knew that the Panthera hybrids weren't known for being particularly friendly to the other hybrid clans. Yet somehow, through fluke, luck or fate, he'd found someone that he felt comfortable with. What made their friendship even more unusual was Rufus' clan line. He wasn't a Panthera or any of the other feline clans. No, Rufus was from one of the avian clans, the Aquila clan to be precise. Never before had a Panthera and an Aquila hybrid lived together in peace and harmony yet here they were, living and working together.

Stretching and rolling off his bed, Aloysius padded out into the main living area of their apartment, purposefully making more noise than necessary so Rufus didn't accuse him of sneaking up on him. Setting their meals on the table, Rufus turned and smiled softly at his best friend. They were an unlikely pair but it worked for them.

'You're not wearing your bell.' Rufus remarked, gaze locked on Aloysius' ankle.

'Oh come on, I've learnt my lesson. I gave clear warning this time, right?' Aloysius sighed, really hoping Rufus wasn't serious about the ankle bell.

'Yeah, you did. Just don't forget I'm Aquila and we'll be okay.' Rufus nodded, watching Aloysius for a moment. 'Come on, lunch is getting warm.'

'Now that sounds interesting.' Aloysius grinned, heading for the table and the two covered dishes.

Their mealtimes were anything but normal, a fact they'd struggled with in the past and still did when out in public but when it was just the two of them, it felt so natural to eat as their ancestors did. So while the table was normal, the seating arrangement was anything but. On one side, a long bench sat perpendicular to the table, the smooth top almost as high as the table. One end was secured to the wall behind to keep it from moving while the other hooked to the table, keeping the bench in the perfect spot. On the other side, a large steel frame was anchored to the floor, basically an open box with a thick steel bar running through the middle.

Closing his eyes, Aloysius let his true form show through. Bones grinding and cracking, his feet lengthened and altered shape, toes replaced by claws and thick black fur rippling over skin. Walking with a new bounce in his step, Aloysius glanced back at Rufus in time to see his shift, a sight that never failed to take his breath away. Shifting for a Panthera was easy, all the same pieces were there, they just changed shape. But for Aquila, it was so much more.

Powerful muscles gaze way to long feathers, spilling down his arms as the bones ground together and lengthened to create the wings Rufus was so proud of. His face shrank back and twisted, deadly beak curving out and catching the light. Ankles shifting to the middle of his feet, toes and heels twisting into brutal talons that left deeper scratches in the hardwood floors of their home.

His own shift complete, Aloysius bounded up onto the bench, stretching out comfortably with his back paws draped off the side of his bench. Reaching out with one clawed front paw, he lifted both covers off their meals and sat them aside, just savouring the smells as he waited for Rufus to get settled on his perch.

Strutting across the floor, Rufus stepped into the box and up onto the steel bar, talons curling around it securely as he fluffed out his wings and got settled. Dark eyes watching Aloysius for a moment, Rufus nodded and dipped his head to his plate, powerful beak so gentle as he picked up a piece of the raw steak on his plate. A flick of his head and it went down whole.

Digging his claws into the bloody roast on his plate, Aloysius found it so easy to sink his sharp teeth into the meat and tear it apart, relaxed and calm in such an unnatural world for hybrids. Pulling away suitable pieces, Aloysius didn't really bother to chew it much before it went down. Actually chewing was more of a human thing but Aloysius tried to stay in practise with pretending to be normal.

~!~#~(~)~#~!~

Lunch over, Aloysius and Rufus retired to the living room, settling in their most comfortable positions to enjoy what they had. Keeping his wings, Rufus shifted his face back to his human form, finding it much easier to communicate vocally instead of the telepathy all hybrids had. Settling on another heavy metal perch, he tucked his wings in and gazed out the window over the city, peaceful and happy.

Curling up on the floor, Aloysius looked up at Rufus for a moment before turning his attention to cleaning up the last traces of lunch. As a Panthera clansman, the idea of washing his paws in a sink was simply not acceptable. Instead he did as his ancestors did and let his animalistic nature take care of the problem. Getting comfortable, he proceeded to lick the meat juices from his hands, long tongue curling to get every last bit before he cleaned his face as well.

'All the time I've known you and I still can't believe you do that.' Rufus commented, watching Aloysius clean up so meticulously.

'I am Panthera, it's in my blood to wash like this.' Aloysius shrugged, making sure to get under his chin as well. 'To me, the way Aquila clean their feathers is really quite strange.'

'It's not like we have much choice, no hands.' Rufus grinned, shifting on his perch. 'Are we still planning on going to the gathering this year?'

'That's the plan. Hopefully there are some new people this year. I got stuck hanging around the Tigris and Leoth clans last year.' Aloysius replied, finishing his quick bath and sitting up. 'Every gathering it's the same old thing, the last of the Panthera line in North America.'

'Our people are disappearing faster than we can ever hope to rebuild the population. So many sub-species of hybrids are already gone.' Rufus nodded, hopping off his perch and heading towards the window. 'There are only two Aquila left in North America, both males unfortunately.'

'But there's there more Aquile left out there?' Aloysius asked, a single letter enough to change from one clan to all in that genetic group.

'There are but the women in the other Aquile clans are either mated off or not interested in an Aquila man while their own clans still have males available.' Rufus sighed, stretching out his wings to their full and very impressive width. 'There is an unmated Aquila female in Australia but she refuses to have anything to do with me while I live with a Panthera. I turned her down, I'd rather die unmated with a best friend than mated to a bitch like that and lose the best friend I've got in this weird world.'

Deeply touched by what Rufus was giving up for him, Aloysius rolled onto all fours and padded across to join Rufus, gazing out across their city home. But instead of settling beside his best friend, Aloysius took a place of great trust, stretching out between Rufus' powerful feet and massive talons. Looking down, Rufus smiled and ever so carefully shifted his talons so he didn't lose his balance while stroking one talon lightly along Aloysius' side.

'The trust you have in me, knowing what I could do to a Panthera if angered.' Rufus mused, continuing the gentle contact.

'The trust we share, I could do you a fairly severe injury from this position.' Aloysius replied, shifting into a more comfortable position. 'Jeans are no match for my claws.'

'You can understand why I'd never leave, can't you?' Rufus asked, stretching out his wings again.

'I understand Rufus. We've been through a lot together, I don't know what I'd do without your more restrained nature to temper my aggressive streak.' Aloysius nodded, reaching out with one front paw to lightly scratch at the feathers just above his feet.

'Ohh, you know that's a spot I can't get properly.' Rufus groaned, head falling back as he enjoyed the contact. Usually such contact between hybrids was restricted to just life-mates but as close friends and housemates, they were quite familiar with favourite contact spots and just how to make each other happy.

Eventually though, Rufus shook Aloysius' paw away and turned away from the window, clicking back towards the bedrooms, ruffling up his wings as he walked. Rolling over, Aloysius scrambled up and followed, fairly sure he knew where Rufus was going. As he ran, Aloysius gave over completely to his animal form, weathered skin and strong muscles reshaping to form the sleek, powerful lines of his panther body. It all felt so natural to him but he knew it looked so weird. Going from a six-foot tall man to an overgrown panther tended to scare the life out of normals.

Sure enough, Rufus headed to the third, mostly unused bedroom. It was well hidden, the door blended seamlessly into the wall and specifically designed to be a secure place where they could hide in full beast form. Opening the door, Rufus held it open for Aloysius before stepping inside and closing the door.

With effortless grace, Aloysius bounded up onto his favourite spot, eight feet up on the wall. It wasn't much really, just a long padded shelf firmly attached to the wall on twelve corner brackets. Most people would consider twelve corner brackets on an eight-foot long shelf overkill but Aloysius had learnt many painful lessons about not putting enough bracing under his shelves. He really didn't want to take another fall like that any time soon.

Looking up at Aloysius as he settled and got comfortable on his shelf, Rufus grinned and closed his eyes, giving over completely to his animalistic calling. His full change wasn't as easy or comfortable as Aloysius' but it hurt less now than the first time he'd done it right through. Even with intense concentration, he couldn't quite get all his reforming joints to behave properly and usually created a couple of really loud grinding crunches, mostly in his knees. Eventually he was standing there in full glory, proud of his feathers and fierce appearance. His animal brethren were already intimidating, his sheer size only made it worse. After all, who could believe they'd just seen a seven-foot tall golden eagle?

Making his way across the floor, Rufus fluttered his absolutely massive wings and hopped up into the nest he'd built in the corner. They'd gotten a lot of weird looks from other people in the building as they carried bundles of sticks and other material up in the elevators but they explained it all away as redecorating their apartment in some new style they'd heard about. That seemed to satisfy people and they stopped asking. In reality though, the material they brought up was carefully tangled together in the third bedroom to create a giant eagle nest, a perfect replica of what wild, real eagles would make, just on a more suitable scale for Rufus.

Settling down in his nest, Rufus tugged a few sticks back into position and fluffed up his feathers, making his preferred home cosy and safe so he could rest and digest his meal in peace. Looking up at Aloysius again, just to check what he was doing - washing his chest and belly - Rufus settled properly and turned his attention to his wings, preening his feathers back into shape for a planned flight after dark.

Slowly, neither noticing the other was going the same way, both drifted off to sleep, safe in their hideaway from a world that didn't understand them. For a few precious hours, they didn't have to struggle to look and act like the normals, they could be their animals and sleep fitfully.


	3. Chapter 3

Finding a secluded spot well away from human habitation and safe enough for him to feel comfortable, a lone man scanned the area slowly, tipping his face to the sky and inhaling deeply through his nose. Picking up on nothing he didn't like, he turned and whistled a sharp note before settling on the grass and nudging his sunglasses up to reveal the long vertical scars slashing over his eyes.

Waiting for the rest of his pack to arrive, Shane Schofield relaxed in the long grass, another sign that normals hadn't been out to this particular clearing for quite some time. He was still a little freaked out by this hybrid business but it certainly explained a few things. He'd been shocked when it first came out, starting with Renard sniffing him after their shared experiences and leading up to his discovery of who he really was.

It had been scary to realise everything he thought he was happened to be false and the stories he'd been spooked by as a kid were real. But with gentle guidance from Veronique to find the local hybrid meeting place and lots of supporter the others he met, he was starting to really get a handle on what had been hidden from him. He'd been quite surprised by some of the other hybrids he'd met, he knew them as ordinary people and yet they weren't.

Shaken out of his thoughts when his pack joined him, Shane smiled and waited for them to settle in the sun with him, human for now but that would change in time. The hike out to this secluded spot had taken hours and a lot of physical exertion; they would rest a while before really starting to enjoy what they were learning about each other.

'I still can't believe you didn't think you could trust me with this.' Shane remarked, smile growing as Libby plopped down in his lap.

'Don't take it personally, Shane.' Libby replied, snuggling close. 'It's against hybrid law to share with the normals, no matter who they are. It's not that we didn't trust you.'

'And none of you realised I was hybrid too?' Shane sighed, shaking his head slowly.

'It's typically the duty of the Felinus clans to locate new hybrids. It used to be the Caniade clans but the Felinus clans turned out to be better at it. Besides, you spend so much time around us that your own hybrid scent was totally disguised. I still can't believe she found you.' Buck explained, stretched out comfortably in the grass. 'But I'm also glad we don't have to hide from you anymore.'

'There might be times, I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this hybrid stuff.' Shane snorted, looking over to where Mother was rolling in the grass, her animal side coming out full strength. 'Having fun over there Mother?'

'Fuckin'-A, Scarecrow.' Mother replied, sitting up and shaking her head to dislodge the grass she'd picked up. 'Been too long since I could do this.'

'Are you absolutely sure we're safe out here, Shane?' Libby asked, relaxing into his embrace a little more. 'I want to but I don't want to be seen by the normals.'

'I don't smell any normals on the wind and there are no signs of normals on the ground. We're safe Libby.' Shane promised, kissing her cheek softly. 'We're too far off the beaten path for another to find us.'

'Of all the packs I could have been drawn to, I'm glad it was yours Shane.' Libby sighed, aware of many other hybrids among the Marines and just how many of them wanted her.

'Are we doing this or not?' Buck asked, scratching his chin on a suitable stick near his head.

Lifting his head, Shane scented the air again, making one last check for any normals in the area before nodding and guiding Libby off his lap. One last sniff and Shane nodded, tugging his shirt off and tossing it into the middle of the group. That was the signal to his friends that all was truly secure and they could cast aside their human falsehoods. Only now could they be truly free.

Typical of hybrids, they had no body shame, knowing that their human forms were inconsequential in the long run. Without hesitation, the four friends shed their clothes into a pile in the middle of the clearing, making sure the smaller items were tucked into pockets or boots so nothing got lost. To them, sitting around naked in the woods was normal and comfortable, a precursor to the fun times they were about to enjoy. One by one, they found comfortable spots and settled, eyes closing as the shifting began. If any normals could hear what was going on in the clearing, they would likely run away in terror at the sound of so many bones crunching and grinding painfully.

Libby finished first, her smaller frame and long hours spent studying her clan making her one of the best shifters in the area. Within minutes her lithe, beautiful human form was replaced by a larger than average red fox. But there were three things that marked her as different. When she opened her eyes, they weren't the deep orange-brown of a normal fox, hers were brilliant blue. Between her ears, she had a clearly visible white streak, a reminder of her blonde hair. And when she was on the move, she tended to favour her left foreleg, the very same one she'd been shot in two years prior.

Mother was next to finalise her shift, rolling off her back and sitting up in the long grass. She would never be a fast shifter, the sheer bulk of her body slowing her down. Despite the challenges of her animal form, she fully shifted only a couple of minutes after Libby, her massive bulk rippling with dark brown coarse fur. Already bulky, her shift added extra bulk to her body, turning a rough woman into a juvenile brown bear. Well, size wise she was a juvenile but in every other way, she was an adult. Her left rear leg clearly marked her as a survivor, the deep scars running from knee to paw a reminder of what she'd survived.

Third was Buck, his shift incredibly complicated but after years of practise, Buck had it down to a fine art. Instead of shifting one section at a time like most hybrids did, he had mastered mass shifting, his entire body shifting at once. Shaking off the fuzziness that always came with his shift, Buck lifted his head and looked around, scenting the air for danger as he coiled up. At an impressive 20-feet long, even when hugging the ground he made quite the impression and he played off that with his dazzling colouration of dark brown with big lighter brown saddles all along his scaly back and creamy patches along both sides, he was a naturally beautiful reticulated python.

Finally, panting softly as he rested on the grass, Shane waited for the dizziness to recede before slowly sitting up and looking down at his natural form. It still felt a little strange to need four feet on the ground but he didn't really think about that too much. Instead, he admired his dark coat, near black along his back fading to pale grey on his belly. Turning his head a little more, he took a moment to admire his tail, something so mundane for most but for Shane, it was still fascinating. There was still something amazing about being able to become a grey wolf, Shane doubted it would ever become boring for him.

Whining softly, Libby approached Shane cautiously, a little unsure of how his wolf mind would accept her this time. The last time they'd gone full animal, Shane had been unprepared for the fierceness of his wolf mind and had attacked her before gaining total control, she still bore the scars of his attack on her right flank. Whining in reply, Shane lowered his head and leant closer, sniffing her neck before lightly rubbing her cheek, fully in control of his animal side this time. Lifting her head, Libby warbled happily and returned the gentle contact, tail coming up to show her happiness as they made their promises to each other as they should.

Coming closer to the pair, Mother growled a suitably warm comment to the pair and sat again, checking her area carefully to make sure she didn't sit on Buck as he joined the group. Hissing softly, Buck coiled up tighter and shot Mother a warning look, wriggling his tail out from under her rump. Watching them with the closest thing to a smile that he could manage, Shane nudged Libby and took off at a slow trot, heading towards a trail that caught his interest. Glancing back at the other two, Libby took off after him, still tentative on her front left leg but doing the best she could.

With the love birds gone, Mother got to her paws and ambled off towards the edge of the clearing in the other direction, smelling something really good. Uncoiling, Buck returned to their clothing pile, coiling his massive body around the pile as a substitute sunning rock. It wasn't particularly comfortable and it didn't have a very nice scent but it would do for a few hours of sunshine.

~!~#~(~)~#~!~

Making it back to base just as the sun as setting, the group split and headed their separate ways, spirits lifted by a good romp in their natural home. Strolling through the base hand-in-hand, Shane and Libby couldn't have been happier. Away from their pack-mates, they'd talked about their lives and come to an agreement. They couldn't do much about it yet, there were a few things they needed to find out before taking the plunge but the plan was ready as soon as they knew for sure.

As far as Libby knew, there was no law against a Vulpes and a Lupis getting married and settling down but she wasn't absolutely sure. It was too late to worry about the laws now anyway, they'd tied the knot a year after her shoulder injury in a beautiful civilian ceremony not too far from the base. But due to Marine commitments, no one from their pack had gone to the last gathering so their married status was still a secret from the greater hybrid community. They knew Ralph was another hybrid but he was Ursus like Mother so there hadn't been any arguments against their union.

Entering their simple apartment, Shane made doubly sure the door was locked as Libby crouched to remove her boots, immediately coming up onto the balls of her feet as she shifted her ankles. At home, they both tended to stay up on their pads, giving Shane plenty of practise with selective shifting. He was still trying to get the really selective shifting like just his eyes or teeth but he was more than capable of managing the larger selections like ankles and hands.

Tossing his own boots off to the side, Shane shifted up onto his paws and padded over to wrap Libby up in a hug as they gazed out the window, their altered bodies hidden by a carefully positioned storage box. Smiling softly, Libby relaxed back into his chest, enjoying the chance to just relax and enjoy what they had.

'You're shaking, Shane.' Libby remarked, resting her hands over his.

'Today took a bit more out of me than I thought.' Shane nodded, kissing her neck softly. 'I'll be okay.'

'After the meal you had out there, I'm not surprised. Two full shifts and half a doe, I'm surprised you're still awake as it is.' Libby grinned, drawing away slowly. 'Come on, we could both use some rest. It's been a good day, tough but very good.'

'You know I don't like going into the den alone.' Shane uttered, leaning in to lightly nuzzle her.

'I never said anything about you going in alone.' Libby chuckled, guiding him towards their den in the bedroom.

Dropping to their knees, the pair crawled under their raised double bed, making their way through the entrance tunnel to enter the main part of their den. They'd built it out of human supplies and lined it with two soft quilts to make a cosy place to curl up together. Turning around in their den, Libby settled first, curled up on her side happily. Padding around behind her, Shane dropped down behind her, throwing one arm over her side as they snuggled in for sleep. Sighing softly, the pair relaxed and drifted into a peaceful sleep.


End file.
